N3 · 40 words

Society and the people in it

Generations, neighbourhoods, rights and duties — the words for how people live together.

Several of these words split what English keeps in one. 社会(しゃかい) is society as a system, while 世(よ)の中(なか) is the world as people experience it — the second is what you hear in conversation. Japanese also distinguishes 市民(しみん), the citizens of a city, from 住民(じゅうみん), the people who actually live in a place, and official letters about where you live tend to use the second.

The words

Verb (2)

支えるto support; to hold upVerbN3

家族(かぞく)に支(ささ)えられて、ここまで来(こ)られた。I have come this far because my family supported me.

助け合うto help each otherVerbN3

困(こま)ったときは、近所(きんじょ)の人(ひと)と助(たす)け合(あ)うことが大切(たいせつ)だ。When times are hard, it matters that neighbours help each other.

This list belongs to Society, the news and history — six lists and 241 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.